Extracting grease and potash salts from wool.



F. & G. SHUMAN.

EXTBAGTING GREASE AND Ponsa sALTs FROM wooL.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 22,1905.

Patented Sept 22, 1908..

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

P. & c.' SHUMAN. EXTBAGTING- GREASE AND POTASH SAL'I'S FROM WOOL.

l APPLICATION FILED DSO. 22, 1905.

Patented Sept. 22, '1908.'

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@www L L.v kfw @S /L Y F. & G.\ SHUMAN. EXTBAOTING GREASE AND PoTAsH sALTs FROM wooL. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 22. 1905.

' 899,339. Patented sept. 22,1908."

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

, NITEDI STATES PATENT oEEIGE.

FRANK sHUMAN AND 'coNsTANTINE SHUMANOE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNoRs, BY DIRECT AND MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, or ONE-THIRD. To sAID FRANK SHUMAN, ONE-THIRD To WALTER EEBEN, AND ONE-THIRD To CHARLES H. HAEDING,

OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXTB/ ACTING GREASE .ANDL RQTASH SAII'IS FROM WOOL.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Y Patented Sept. 2 2, 1908.

Appncaan med December 22, 1905. serial No. 292,988.

To'all whom 'it mayconcern:

Be it known hat we, FRANK SHUMAN CONSTANTINE SHUMAN, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ahave invented. certain Improvementsin-Extractin Grease and Potaslr balts from Wool, of Whidh the following is-a specification.

Our invention relates to thathmethod of.

degreasingV Wool which consists in first subjecting it to the action of.a liquid solvent'ot the grease, and then to a washingoperation, one objectof our invention being to provide for Athe rapid and effective removal -of the grease an potash salts from the wool and the effective recovery and re-usefof the .sol. vent employed, and ajurther object beingto' j accomplish these results in such manner that .simpler and cheaper means than those now. em loyed for the purpose are available. hese objects we attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in 4-which Figure 1, is a'rlongitudinal sectional view of one end of apparatus adapted for carrying y V out ourinvention; Fig. 2, is a similar view 'ofthe other end of the apparatus;-Fig. 3, is

Fig? 4 is a sectional view illustrating a modif a transverse section ofthe apparatus, and

cation of,one feature of the invention..

1 and 2 represent a pair of closed tanks located end toend and connected by a neck 3, which provides communication between the tanks, and 4 and 5r represent endless belts otwire cloth, perforate sheet metal, or the like, which pass through. these tanks from end to end, and also pass around suitable external guide-rollers 6,' s0 disposed that their passage through the tanks the perforated belts orv aprons. follow parallel courses, separated from each other'to the extent re uired to accommodate the mass of Wool, w` ich is carried orwardffrom the receiving end to thedelivery," end ,of theappa-l ratus, the lower apron -5 being, by preference,`

and

ported vin their passage through the tan the aprons, so as to prevent the escape of gases orvapors from either tank.

The tank-1 is divided by means of parti- 55 tions 9 into a series of compartments 10,.'.1,1, 12 'and 13, and the tank 2 is dividedby a series of partitions 14 into compartiments 1'5, 16 and 17, the number of compartments in either tank being dependent largely upon the 6o extent and character of the treatment .to which the wool is to be subjected.

Each tank contains a series of perforated vessels or trays 19, one for each compartment, these trays being'located above the 6 5 lower run of .thezapron 4,'and each tray being in communication with its respective compartment through pipes 20 and 21, and a centrifugalor other suitable pump 22, whereby liquid may be withdrawn from each compartment and delivered into the` corres ondling tray 19, through Whose perforate bottom it escapes and 'flows on tothe lower run of the upper perforated apron 4, so as to pass through the same, through the mass .of wool confined between it and the upper run of the lower 'apron 5,' and through the latter, as shown In Figs. 1 and 2. Thetwo aprons, withtheir interposed mass f wool are sulp upon rollers 23, and they also pass' between anumber of pairs of squeezing rollers 24, 25;

26and27.

The perforated trays 19, eorrespondmg to the com artments 111, 12., 1 5, 1d and V17 are' j85 provide with rollers running upon rails 28 on the opposite sides of the tanks, so they can be moved longitudinally, one of the axles of each -tray Cbeing connected by rods 29to a loat 30, suitablyy guided vertically in the 9o compartment corresponding to said tray, sof"l that vas the level of liquid in said compartment rises and falls the floatwill have corresponding mover'ent and the tray will be moved back and rails'.

above' the' compartment 12 and also above the lower run o the upper apron 4, serves to supply naphtha or -other available. solvent 10o of grease, and a similar transverse pipe 32 located above'. the compartment 17 and also above the-lowerqrn of the upper apron 4,

serves tesupply wash water.

forthupon its supporting A perforated transverse pipe 31, locatbd An overflowl i e 33 rovides for the discharge-of liquid) om t e compartment 10, and an overflow pipe 34 provides for dis charge from the lower ortion oflthe compartment13, andthe atter .compartment can also overiloW into the compartment12,?

because of the fact that the partition 9, separating these compartments, ls'lower than the partitions separating the other compart- `ments of the. apparatus.

The tank 2 has, at the top, a vapor .escape pipe 35, and each of the compartments 15, 16 vand I7 of said -tank is in communication withv a steaml pipe 36 through a suitably valved branch, as shown-in Fig 2. Supplpsing'that a mass of Woo is being car- `ried t ough the apparatus between the aprons 4.and'5, that the various pumps' 22 l tray 19, so that a portion of t e solvent will be directed into the adjoining compartment ,11, this movement of the tra continuin until the amount of solvent t us` deiiecte equals the amount of solvent entering the I compartment 12 from the pi' e 31, and overflowing into the same from t e com artment 13, whereupon anormal level will' e main- 40 ltained in said compartment l12. In like manner anormal level of liquid will be produced and maintained in the compartment- 11j, the Clevel inthecompartment 10 being determined. by the location offtble overflow pip'e'B In the same manner anormal level of w 4each of the com artments 15, 16 and 17. The body of so vent contained in the comartment 12 will, therefore, be thepurest or partmentll will onta/in a larger percentage .of grease, and that in the compartment -10 contain thef'maxi'mum pereentage, and will 'be Withdrawnl therefrom to the still.l The -wool in its passage will, therefore, be

subjected to the action of solvent of greater and greater'purity until it finally7 reaches the pure solvent delivered by the pipe 31 .and

precisel the same operation in res ect to! thew'as water takes place in the tan 2, the fresh water. flowing from th'e pipe 32 throughl the woolvand into theicompartment' 17, so that the water infsaid compartment lcon tains "the least percentage of o tash salts which have -been washedl from t ewool, the

A centage 'ofthe solvent expresse eing admitted through the pipesthe operation of the apparatus is `function of li water is produced andmaintainedfn A east saturated with grease, that inthe comthe course 'of the endless carrier compartments 1-3, 1,5, 116 and.17 as shown 1n -120 water/in theI compartment l16 containing a greater percentage of such salts that inthe compartment 154 a still Ahigher percentage, and that in the compartment 13 a maximum percentage.

Before passing'under the action of the'. wash Water from the tray 19 above the compartment 13 the wool has the greater perfrom it by the action of the s ueeze rolls 25, and after being subjected to t e washing actior of the water from said tray/19, the wool'is again subjected-to the action of the pair of squeeze rolls 2 6, whereby thegreaterl percentage of the water and solvent then remaining inthe wool is expressed therefrom and Hows `into 'the compartment 13, the solvent, owingto its lesser'speciiic gravity, floating upon the water and overflowing into the compartment 12, as'shownjnvFig: 1-. g5

The water inthe compartments 15,16 and' 17 is heated by steam from the pipe 36, orn

`any other available manner, the water in the compartment 17 being, by preference, heats,v

ed to a higher temperature than that. in the i compartment 16, andthe water in the latter compartment being heated to a higher temerature thanpthat inthe compartment 15.

he water conse uently performs the double ash salts which are not soluble by the solvent employed to extract the grease, and vaporiz' ingthe solvent which'still remains in the wool after the same has passedthe s ueeze rol1s'26. The final pair of squeeze ro s 27 '100 serves to express from the wool the greater portion of the wash water, the cleaned wooleing discharged ina relatively dry condition. 'v

, The method of treating wool 'whichlwe 105v have described provides for treating a maxi'- mum quantit in a given time since the wool'A can be passe through the applstra-tus as rapidly as 1s consistent with the `t orougheliml- 'nation ofthe grease and potash salts there- 110A from, the process.'l being va continuous one,A 'and no 0f the Wol beingnecessary .during the rocessLy y ash saltsin so thorough ing streams of wash Water, the wool may'be passed throu ha quiescent body or'bodies of water, as for instance, by properly deflecting elts in the Fig. 4, or in any other-a propriate way, but

in any case it is refera le to maintain that body of waterw 'ch completes the Washing oplelration-at 'a higher temperaturetthan that 'w 'ch'begins sai operation,l 1n order to pres.'- 125 vent the ellOWing or vIAotting of. the wool Whichis likely to result from subjecting the same to water of high temperature While said .'wool contains strong potash salts.

In theprocess as conducted in our ma 13,0 n

ing from wool the, pot- When' itqls not desirpdw to remove thel ot ,b a manner as by oW- ,115

chine the -irst supply ofwash water used in lconnection with thecompartment A13 is of wash water increases, since, with the decreasing vpercentage or strength'of potash e salts such increase of temperature can be,

adopted Without risk of injury to the wool, for. instance, the temperature of the wash water used in connection with compartmentl 15 'may be sufficient to start the vaporization of the solvent contained in thewool, and the temperature of the wash Iwater in the' iinal. compartment 17 may beat or near the boiling pomt.

So far as we are aware, we are the first to employ Water of high temperature to va orize solventcontained in Woolwhich as been previously subjected t'o the action of.

said solvent for the pur ose of removing 4grease from the Wool, an vwe find that the solvent can be removed more thorou bly and with less loss by this means than if its vaporization is attempted 'by means ofhot air or' gas or if it is washed-from the wool by the use of cool or moderately warm water.

The solvent; vapors. driven off from the wool by the action of the heated Water` are,

together with such water vapor as may be combined therewith, -carried off through thepipjef to be recovered in any suitable way.

e are aware that it has before been proosed to effect the degreasing of wool byconing same between perforated laprons and carrying it thereby7 through successive tanks of solvent and successive tanks of wash water; the aprons withl` the wo0l` confined between them being also carried between press rolls in passingfrom one compartment to an- Cprocess differs fromA ours in failing to provi e for apositive iiow of the solvent through' the mass of wool,fand it also fails to employ heated wash water for the pur ose of vaporizing the solvent remaining 1n t e wool.

l We "are also' aware that in? thatlclas's of ool degreasin apparatus in which the wool is treated in cy inders or keirs, the wool has been subiected to 4treatmentl with flowing l en squeezed to express the sur lus solvent therefrom, then treated with owing wash water, e/ither cold or moderatelyV again squeezed to expressv .I also been floated from the wool by a slowly rising column of moderately'heated water, and then has Abeen distilled from the surface the wool 1n streams so as to, have the ^most .effective washing action upon the wool.

o solvent have been passed through masses of wool lying loosely on a erforated conveyer, but the treatment of oose masses of wool in this way is both wasteful andineffective, a much more economical and effect- We are further aware. that iiowing streams vaporizing water7 is caused to flow through I' ive use of the solvent being possible if thev i while in ayrela'tively confined mass.

We claim: v 1,. The mode herein described of treating wool, said inode consisting in first subjecting the wool to the, action of a solvent df the grease, washing the Wool with a body ofwater of a relatively low temperature, and ',then A with another and inde endent body of Water,

of a temperature su vaporiaation of solvent contained in the wool.

2. The mode herein described of treating wool, said ,mode consisting in carryin the wool forward'` through streams fof` sofvent containing a less and less percentage ofy wool is subjected to the action of the solvent 'ciently high tol effect grease, then ap lying .a stream of pure solthe solvent remainin ,in the wool.

3; The mode hereln described of treating wool, said mode consisting in first subjecting the wool to the action of a solvent ofthe greasethen expressing surplus solvent from the wool by pressure, and then washing the wool, first with water of a relatively low temturesufiicie'ntly high to effect vaporization of solvent contained in the wool. Y Y

4. Thevmode herein described of ,treating wool, said mode consisting in carrying. the mass pf wooly forwardly through flowing streams of solventJ and then through water first of a relatively low temperature and tlfen ofy a temperature suiiicientl high to eect vaporization of solvent contained 1n the wool.

5. The process herein described of eX- tracting grease andpotash salts from wool, said `process consisting-rin feedlng the wool. continuously forwardt of solvent to remove the grease, then passing clearsolvent throughl the Wool,` then removing the potash from the'wool by water at such a temperature lthat it will not discolor perature', and then with water of a tempera-f ico oughilowmgstreams 'the solvent.

`the wool, and then raisin the temperature of thewater to a point s cient to volatilize 6. The mode'herein described of treating wool, said mode consisting in carrying he mass of wool forwardly, irst'through liowing `streams of solvent and then through wing v streams of solvent, and

streams of washwater which successively increase in temperature.

r 7 The Inode herein describedof treating wool, said Inode,v consisting in carrying the Inass 'of wool forwardly, r'st through ilowing en through owing streams of wash waterw '"ch successively increase in temperature, until the latter is i nally high 'enough to vaporize the-solvent.

8. The process herein described of eX- -tracting grease and potash salts from-Wool, sa1d process consisting in feedingthe wool 20 continuously forward through ilowlng streams of solvent which contain a less and le`ss percentage ofgrease, thenpassing pure solvent through the Wool,then squeezing the wool,

then passing the wool through ilowing streams of'water. at a low temperature, a ain Vsqueezlng the wool, passing it through owtemperature until hig 'vent of the grease 'and thenthroug bodies of-wash water which 'successively increase 1n saasse temperature. e 10. The mode herein described' of treating wool,` said' mode consisting in carrying'g'the mass of wool forwardly," iirst throu h a sol.- vent of the' grease, and then throug 'bodiesVJ of wash water which successivelyinc ase in fv temperature until the latter is na y high enough to vaporize the solvent'.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our s names to this specification, 1n the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

'F ANK SHUMAN. CONSTANTINE SHUMAN. .A Witnesses:

ALAN CRAIG-,CUNNrNGHAm THosMAcKELLAR.

adua'lly increasingin 

